“Yes, it’ll be fine. It’s not like we’re going to raid his drink cabinet or anything. Not that he has a drink cabinet.”

  His shoulders shook as he laughed. “What does it say about my parents that they do?”

  “That they’re more grown up than my dad.”

  “How old is he, by the way?”

  “Thirty-seven. What about your mum and dad?”

  He thought about it for a couple of seconds. “I have to work it out from my age because I always forget.” After another brief pause he said, “Dad is fifty-five, and Mum is forty-nine. They met at some sort of medical exhibition and were married six months later and had me a year after that.”

  “A bit older than my parents then.” I didn’t really care that they were only young. Dad had proved that age and experience didn’t mean you made a better parent, but I knew some people still judged him for being a young parent.

  “I just think they were both tied up with their careers, but Mum always says that if she had her time again she’d have had children younger. Says she’d have like to have had more than two.”

  “And what does your dad say about that?” I asked, grinning.

  Zak gave a quiet laugh. “He says she couldn’t have because she hadn’t met him, the love of her life. Although, I do think he’d have liked a couple more, too. I think they tried between me and Amelia, but it didn’t happen.” He frowned. “I have a feeling Mum might have had a couple of miscarriages, but she never mentions it. What about you? Do you miss having brothers or sisters?”

  “I’ve never thought about it to be honest. It was always just me and Dad, and he did everything he could to make sure that I didn’t feel any different to my friends. I think that was why he encouraged me and Liam to be friends. It felt like Liam and his mum and dad were family. My dad and Liam’s dad have known each other for years. They were neighbours when my dad moved here. So it’s always been like I had an auntie, an uncle, and a cousin.”

  Zak sighed and shook his head. “I take my big family for granted. I have eleven cousins.”

  “Wow.” My eyes went big. “Eleven?”

  “Yeah. My mum has two brothers, and my dad has a sister and two brothers.”

  “That’s a lot.”

  He nodded. “It is. Yet you know, we barely see each other because we’re always too busy. And now we’ve moved here, I bet we’ll see even less of them.”

  “Another reason to miss the big city.” I smirked.

  Zak raised an eyebrow as he looked at me. “But like I said before, I wouldn’t have met you if we hadn’t.”

  “Very true.”

  “Hey, I know, let’s take your dad some nuggets back with us.”

  “What?” I couldn’t help but laugh at such a strange suggestion. “My dad?”

  “Yeah. He does eat meat doesn’t he?” Zak’s eyes were full of excitement like he’d had the best idea in the world.

  “He does, but I’m not sure how much meat is in their nuggets.”

  “Agreed, it’s questionable, but even so, what do you think?” He asked, peering over my shoulder towards the counter. “Ten or twenty?”

  I shook my head. “Ten would be fine, Zak, but you don’t have to.” I started to giggle at the idea of him presenting my dad with ten chicken nuggets.

  Letting go of my hand, he stood up. “Shall I get him fries as well.”

  “No,” I replied, my giggle turning into a full-on laugh. “The nuggets are fine.”

  He bounced on the balls of his feet, like an excited toddler. “Sauces! What sauces shall I get? Tomato or barbeque?”

  “Barbeque.”

  “Right. I won’t be long.”

  He leaned down, gave me a quick kiss, and went off to the counter. As I watched him looking hot and gorgeous as he ordered the food, I realised that I liked that he had rizz, but I also liked that he was a little bit nerdy, too.

  Zak parked next to the kerb just as my dad drove onto the drive. I was surprised because it was almost nine, and I’d expected him to be back well before us. His meetings never usually went on so late.

  “Oh good,” Zak said unbuckling his belt. “He’ll be able to eat them hot.”

  I loved how it made him so excited. I just hoped my dad didn’t act up because I’d brought Zak home.

  Opening the car door, he turned to me just before he got out. “He won’t mind me being here, will he?”

  “No. Not at all.” I wasn’t sure, but if he did, he wouldn’t say anything in front of Zak.

  As I rounded the front of the car, Dad was unfolding himself from his. As Zak reached out for my hand, my dad looked from him to me.

  “Hello. Where’ve you two been?”

  “Maccies,” Zak said, holding up his bag of nuggets. “We got you some chicken. Maddy said no fries, but…” he looked at me and grinned, “I didn’t listen.”

  Dad smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s very kind of you.”

  Zak pushed the bag closer to him, and Dad slowly unfolded his arms and took it from him.

  “Didn’t know you were going out,” Dad said, moving towards the front door with his key in his hand.

  “You weren’t here to tell,” I replied, raising an eyebrow. “How was the supplier?”

  Dad paused for a second and then continued up the path. “Yeah, good. I’ll talk to you about it later.”

  That was odd because he never spoke to me about suppliers. Maybe he’d decided to make a big business decision and wanted to run it past me.

  We followed Dad into the house, through to the kitchen, my heart thudding with unease at how the unexpected meeting between him and Zak would go. Dad had seemed to like him at the café, when we’d had breakfast, and he was pretty easy going, so I shouldn’t have worried. I was his little girl, though, and Zak was a boy who clearly had an interest in me.

  Dad reached for the kettle, switched it on, and then turned back around. “Brew?”

  I glanced to my side where Zak was standing. He didn’t exactly look relaxed, but he certainly didn’t look scared or nervous.

  “Please, Mr Newman.”

  “I told you, Will is fine.” Dad flashed him a smile and then looked at me. “Maddy?”

  “Tea, please.” At least he hadn’t full named me, so I wasn’t in trouble for going out without telling him. If I was, it would only be a safety thing with him. He just liked to know where I was.

  “Anyone want a nugget?” Dad opened the bag and peered inside before putting his hand inside and bringing out a couple of fries.

  “No, thanks.” Zak moved a little closer to me and I almost leapt as his little finger linked with mine. “I just had a burger.”

  I glanced at him, aware that my face was burning, but when I looked at my dad he had turned back to the making the mugs of tea.

  “Are you going to sit down?” he asked over his shoulder. “I don’t fancy eating this while you’re both standing over me.”

  Letting out a breath, I moved towards the table, aware that Zak hadn’t let go of my finger. When I looked at him he was grinning, like he knew I was loving it and hating it in equal parts. Pulling my hand away and rolling my eyes, I sat down at the table, my stomach instantly flipping when Zak took the chair next to me. His thigh nudged mine just before his fingers tickled my side.

  “Oi,” I hissed, trying to sound annoyed, but unable to hide a smile.

  Zak raised an eyebrow and then turned to look at dad’s back. “I can make the tea for you Mr Newm—, sorry, Will. You can eat your nuggets then.”

  “Dad’s very particular about his tea,” I told him.

  “I am.” He reached into the brown bag and pulled out a piece of chicken, popping it whole into his mouth, chewing it as he continued making the drinks.

  Zak linked our fingers again and my heart started jumping around in my chest. Everything he did made it go fast, made me feel excited inside. Made me want to smile until my cheeks ached.

  Eventually, Dad turned around and placed two mugs in front of us. Then he got his own and brought it to the table along with his nuggets.

  “I really appreciate this,” he said, peeling the lid off a barbeque sauce pot. “I didn’t realise that I was hungry.” He looked up. “So, what else have you two been up to tonight?”

  “Not what you’re thinking,” I muttered, earning one of Dad’s looks that said I’d better not be lying to him.

  “Just McDonald’s,” Zak replied. “But Maddy only had a milkshake.”

  “You had the curry?”

  “Yes, I had the curry. You left it for me so why wouldn’t I?” I narrowed my eyes on him. “It was very nice, by the way.”

  “I know. I make a good curry.” He winked at me and then ate another piece of chicken as we watched him in silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable as such, but I didn’t like it. Who knew what Zak was thinking, but worse still, who knew what my dad was thinking? And if he was thinking the worst, what questions would he start asking?

  Dad took another bite and then took a long sip of his tea.

  “Lovely,” he finally said. “Thanks for that.” He slapped his hand on the table. “So, Zak, how are you and the family settling in? The people of Norford can be a little inclusive at times.”

  “It’s great. We’re really liking it here.” He looked at me and grinned, making it obvious why he particularly liked it in Norford. At least, I hoped that I was the reason.

  “And your mum and dad like it?” Dad cleared his throat, peering into his mug.

  “Dad says the hospital is great, especially the staff. As for mum, well,” Zak chuckled, “she’s happy as long as teeth are involved.”

  “Same as Dad and beer,” I muttered, earning a nudge in the shin under the table.

  “I serve it, it doesn’t mean I love it.”

  Giving him a wry smile, I sat back in my chair. Then I realised doing that gave Dad a view of mine and Zak’s linked fingers, so quickly pulled my chair closer to the table.

  “Anyway,” Dad said, picking up the bag. “I’ll leave you to it.” He looked directly at Zak. “Don’t stay too late. You’ve both got school tomorrow.”

  He winked, but there was no disguising the warning as he got up and put his mug into the sink and the bag in the pedal bin. Walking slowly to the door, with his usual confident swagger, he called over his shoulder.

  “Don’t forget I need to speak to you later, Maddy, so don’t go to bed until I have.”

  I glanced at Zak and then back to my dad who was disappearing into the hallway. “Okay.”

  Once I heard the living room door click shut, I swivelled in my seat to face Zak. “What do you think that’s about?”

  Zak shrugged. “I have no idea.” He laughed and wrapped my hand in both of his. “How would I know? It’s not like I’m his best friend and he confides in me.” He leaned closer to me. “If I was, he’d let me stay late.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Take no notice. He’s a pussycat deep down. Stay as late as you like.”

  “I don’t know, Maddy. I don’t want to make him mad right from the beginning.”

  “He’s not mad. Honestly.” I shook my head and grinned. “Don’t be scared of Big Bad Will.”

  Zak’s eyes turned serious. “I’m not, but I do respect him.”

  Wow, I did an excited internal dance. I knew that if he’d said that to Ana she’d have laughed in his face and told him he’d given her the ick. Not me, though, I liked that he cared what my dad thought.

  “Okay,” I said, swallowing back the moan of appreciation. “But that doesn’t mean that you have to go yet.”

  He frowned. “I wasn’t planning on.” He nodded towards the oven, specifically the clock glowing orange. “It’s only half nine. I think I have at least an hour left before he starts coming in and checking on us.”

  “Really?” I smirked. “What shall we do during that hour?”

  Zak watched me carefully, his head tilted on one side, eventually exhaling long and deep. “This.” Then he leaned in closer, his lips landing on mine. “Is that okay?”

  I drew in a breath and nodded. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

  “Good,” he whispered. “Because I’ve been wanting to do it for weeks.”

  His admission surprised me and made my cheeks heat up.

  “Weeks?”

  “Yeah, bloody weeks, love.”

  The way he said, love, made me want to jump him and wish that I had the confidence of Ana or Liv. They’d have kissed him as soon as they opened the door to him.

  I straightened my back. “I suppose you’d better kiss me some more then.”

  Instantly, Zak’s hands cupped my face, his fingers laced into my hair and his lips, soft and gentle, touched mine. It was the most perfect, most romantic of kisses. It was the best of all the first kisses that I’d ever had. It was everything that I hoped kissing Zak Hoyland would be like. As he leaned in closer, and his tongue pushed against the seam of my lips, I hoped that it would go on forever. His soft moan sent a message to the pit of my stomach, and I pressed my thighs together.

  Wanting to show him that I was just as into it, I moved onto his lap, wrapping my arms around his waist, and holding on to his hard back muscles. There was smooth dip down the length of his spine, and I let my fingers moved slowly towards his jeans. When they reached the cotton waistband of his boxer briefs, I dipped a coupled of fingers inside, rubbing the tips of them along to one of the dimples at the bottom of his back.

  “Maddy,” he whispered, shifting me so that I was straddling his thighs.

  No more words were said as we continued kissing, my fingertips digging in as it deepened, as we both gave more soft moans of pleasure.

  After what seemed an eternity, I heard the living room door open, and my dad clear his throat, giving us a few seconds warning.

  I quickly moved back to my own chair and leaned nonchalantly on the table with one elbow, my head resting in my hand. Zak grinned and readjusted his jeans, moving his chair closer to the table.

  “Yeah, so Amelia jumped in the deep end and nearly drowned,” he said, in a slightly too bright voice.

  Quickly latching on, I joined in the conversation. “Did you go in after her and save her?”

  “Yeah, of course I… oh hey, Mr Newman, erm, Will.”

  “Hey, Zak.” Dad looked at me and frowned. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  He shrugged. “Look a bit flushed.” He moved over to the thermostat on the wall and turned the dial. “No bloody wonder, it’s turned up to twenty-three. I’ve told you, Maddy, it only needs to be twenty at the most.” He whipped around to look at me. “And I’m not made of money.”

  I rolled my eyes and turned back to Zak. “Anyway, you were saying.”

  He hesitated and looked at my dad.

  “It’s fine,” Dad said. “I’m just coming in for a glass of water.” He ran the tap and filled a glass. “You can come and sit in the living room if you want to.”

  “We’re fine thanks,” I muttered.

  Dad grinned and shrugged. “Okay. Whatever. See you later.”

  Once he’d gone, Zak breathed out a sigh of relief. “I lied. I am a bit scared of him.”

  We both started to laugh until Zak leaned in for another soft kiss, and everything but him fell away from my mind.

  Chapter Twenty

  Will

  Just before quarter past ten, Zak popped his head around the living room door and said goodnight. A minute later, the front door opened. Twenty minutes later, after lots of giggles interspersed with too-long silences, I heard it close. One minute later, Maddy entered the living room with a big, soppy grin on her face.

  “Boyfriend finally gone has he?” I asked, shifting the cushion behind my head.

  “If you mean Zak, yes. And he’s not my boyfriend.”

  Turning the sound down on the TV, I sighed heavily. “Oh, yeah, I forgot you talk for a while first. Although,” I said, turning my head to look at her, “there wasn’t much talking going on at the front door, Madeline.”

  “Am I in trouble for something?” she asked, flopping down into the armchair. “He didn’t stay too late. We stayed in the kitchen. We didn’t do drugs or drink alcohol.”

  “I know.” God, she was a little shit at times. The looked on her face would scare most grown men. Narrowed eyes and pinched lips that said, ‘fuck with me if you dare’. I mean, I was glad in many ways that she’d never be walked over by a man, but it wasn’t so cute when it was aimed at me. “And less of the attitude.”

  “I’m not giving you any attitude.”

  “The face says it all.” Pushing myself up, I dropped my feet to the floor. “Now, shall we try again. Has Zak gone home, finally?”

  She paused, only for a second, but long enough to show a little defiance. “Yes, he’s gone home. You said you wanted to talk to me before I went to bed.”

  Pointing the remote, I turned the TV off and turned to her. “I do.” I had no idea why I felt nervous. It wasn’t like she didn’t already know about Maya. It wasn’t like she didn’t want me to get a girlfriend and settle down. She was always banging on about my love life and how I should stop having inconsequential relationships.

  “Remember I told you about the girl I met on the night out in Leeds?”

  She frowned, her nose scrunching up like it did when she was little and was told no and didn’t understand why.

  “What’s happened? Has she got you into some sort of trouble? Is she pregnant?”

  “How quick do you think it takes?” I shook my head in disbelief. “No wonder you dropped biology, you’re crap at it.”

  “I do know about procreation, Dad. I’m just wondering why you’re looking so serious, that’s all.” She hugged a cushion to her stomach, putting her legs over the arm of the chair. I opened my mouth to tell her stop abusing the furniture but decided against it. I’d learned over the years when to fight my battles with my daughter.

  “I just wanted to ask if you’d like to meet her.” I knew I sounded rushed and breathy, but I’d never wanted to introduce Maddy to someone before. I had, but it didn’t mean I always wanted to. “I met up with her today.”